Real Estate Word of the Day: Appraisal

Appraisal: The process of developing and communicating an opinion about a property’s value. An appraisal is usually required when real property is sold, financed, condemned, taxed, insured or partitioned. Note that an appraisal is an estimate, not a determination, of value. An appraisal may be in the form of a lengthy written report, a completed preprinted form, a simple letter or even an oral report.